Supporting means for pole type transformers and accessories



Oct. 27, 1936. w. s. MERKLE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR POLE TYPE TRANSFORMERSAND ACCESSORIES Filed July '25,. 1934 Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR POLE TYPE TRANSFORMERS ANDACCESSORIES Application July 25, 1934, Serial No. 736,878

7 Claims.

This invention relates to structures that are used to mount or support atransformer and its accessories on a pole, and particularly totransformer mountings or supporting devices that are designed with aview to producing compactness and symmetry in the arrangement of thetransformer and its accessories, such as lightning arresters, disconnectswitches, fuse cut-outs, etc.

The main object of my invention is to provide a supporting means of thekind referred to, which, in addition to. enabling a pole typetransformer and its accessories to be arranged compactly and insymmetrical arrangement, is of such design that adequate protection isafforded linemen or workmen during the operation of installing, removingor servicing a transformer mounted on a pole that carries high tensionlive wires. To this end I have devised a mounting for a pole typetransformer and its accessories, that comprises a metal fixture which isadapted to be rigidly and permanently attached to the pole and which isequipped with a transformer supporting means and accessory supportingmeans so constructed and arranged that the transformer may be removed,applied or serviced without the necessity of making or unmaking one ormore live wire line tap connections. Other objects and desirablefeatures of my invention will be hereinafter pointed out.

Prior to my invention it was the usual practice either to mount a poletype transformer and its accessories on conventional wooden cross armscarried by the pole, or mount the accessories on supporting devicesattached to the casing of the transformer. The first method abovereferred to has many disadvantages or objections, such as theimpossibility of arranging the transformer and its accessories compactlyand in symmetrical relation; the tendency to weaken the pole, due to anexcessive number of cross arms or abnormally deep notches in the polefor receiving the cross arms, and the excessively high installation and.maintenance cost resulting fro-m the extra length and extra number ofcross arms required and the inherent tendency of wooden cross arms todeteriorate. The second method above referred to has the very decidedobjection of exposing the workmen to danger during the operation ofinstalling, removing or servicing a transformer on a pole that carrieslive wires, due to the necessity of making and also unmaking one or morelive wire line tap connections before the transformer can be serviced.or changed or removed.

My improved mounting is superior to the mountings heretofore used. forpole type transformers and accessories, in that it consists of a unitaryor self-contained metal fixture, separate and distinct from the polecross arms, that is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install, notinjuriously affected by the elements, and of such design that althoughthe transformer and the accessories are arranged compactly and insymmetrical relationship, a lineman or workman, is subjected to nodanger in the operation of cutting off the supply of current tocompletely deenergize the transformer and its leads, or to electricallyisolate the transformer and. its leads from the supply line or lines.

Figure 1 of the drawing is a front elevational view of my improved polefixture for mounting a transformer and its accessories.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of said fixture; and

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, taken on the line3-3 of Figure 1.

In Figure 1 of the drawing A designates a wooden pole, B designates aconventional transformer and C designates transformer accessories whichmay consist of a lightning arrester, a circuit-breaking device, afuse-cut-out, etc., said transformer and accessories being shown inbroken lines. My improved mounting comprises a body portion D that isadapted to be rigidly and permanently attached to the pole A, a transformer supporting means on said body portion, and an accessorysupporting means on said body portion, said parts or elements beingcombined in such a way as to form a complete self-contained mountingwhich supports the transformer and its accessories: in such mutualrelation electrically as to permit cutting off the supply current tocompletely de-energize the transformer and its leads or to electricallyisolate the transformer and its leads from the supply lines without thenecessity of making and unmaking one or more live wire line tapconnections in the operation of removing, installing or servicing thetransformer. The particular shape, details of construction and method ofcombining said body portion .and said transformer supporting means andaccessory supporting means is immaterial, so far as my broad idea isconcerned, but I prefer to construct the body portion D of the fixturefrom a flat metalbar bent to produce two substantially parallel,vertically-disposed side pieces I joined together atv their upper endsby an integral connecting portion 2 that is curved transversely so astoconform to the shape or outline of the pole A, and. thus permit thebody portion D to lie snugly against the pole. The transformersupporting means previously referred to is formed preferably by twotransversely-disposed members 3 and 3 supported by or attached to thevertical side pieces of the body portion D and provided withforwardly-projecting arms 4 that are adapted to serve as supports forthe transformer B.

In the form of my invention herein illustrated the transformersupporting arms 4 are provided with notches or recesses 5 (see Figure 3)that are adapted to receive transversely-disposed straps 6 on the casingof the transformer, as illustrated in broken lines in Figure 2. Afterthe transformer has been mounted on the supporting arms 4 by positioningthe straps 6 of the transformer casing in the notches 5 in said arms,the transformer can be locked in position by inserting bolts or othersuitable fastening devices I in aligned holes in the straps 6 and in thesupporting arms 4. The top transversely-disposedmember 3 may bepermanently connected in any preferred or suitable way to the bodyportion D of the fixture, but I prefer to bend or deform the side piecesI of said body portion so as to form recesses or pockets in same inwhich the member 3 may be positioned, and then secured in position bywelds 3 as shown in Figure 1. The bottom member 3 is preferablyadjustably connected to the side pieces I of the body portion D of thefixture, so that said bottom member 3 may be adjusted vertically toadapt the fixture to transformers of different sizes. Thus, as shown inFigure 1, the lower end portions of the side pieces I of the bodyportion of the fixture are preferably offset slightly, so as to receivethe bottom member 3 which is adjustably connected to said side pieces Iby bolts or other suitable fastening devices 8 inserted in holes 8 inthe side pieces I, said holes 8 being arranged at different heights orlevels, so as to provide for the longitudinal adjustment of the bottommember 3. The members 3 and 3 can be conveniently formed from fiat metalbars.

The supporting means for the fixtures C preferably comprises two or morehorizontally-disposed arms 9 that project laterally from the bodyportion D of the fixture. In the form of my invention herein illustratedthe arms 9 are formed from fiat metal bars curved slightly, as shown inFigure 2, so as to conform approximately to the outline of the casing ofthe transformer and provided at their inner ends with flanges 9 throughwhich fastening devices H! are inserted to connect said arms 9 to theforwardly-projecting arms 4 on the top member 3 of the transformersupporting means. It is not essential, however, that the arms 9 used tosupport the fixtures be formed as separate parts, for if desired, theycan be formed as integral portions of one of the transversely-disposedmembers that form part of the supporting means for the transformer. Thebody portion D of the fixture is herein illustrated as being rigidlyattached to the pole by means of a top bolt II that passes through theconnecting piece 2 of the body portion D, and a bottom bolt ll thatpasses through the transversely-dis posed bottom member 3 of thetransformer sup porting means.

Of course, the main advantage of a pole fixture of the constructionabove described is that it permits a transformer and its accessories tobe arranged compactly and in symmetrical relationship on a pole in sucha way that the transformer can be removed, installed or serviced withoutthe necessity of making or unmaking one or more live wire line tapconnections, as is necessary with transformer mountings of the kind inwhich the accessories are mounted directly on the casing of thetransformer. My improved mounting or pole fixture has numerous otheradvantages or desirable features, however, such as that it isexceptionally strong and durable; it materially reduces the strain onthe pole because the load is distributed over a large area of thesurface of the pole; it offers facility for making complete andpermanent wiring in stallation from and between lines and transformers,and it may be placed to face in any direction from the pole, as requiredfor the free movement of pole climbers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A pole fixture adapted to be permanently and rigidly connected to apole, to serve as a supporting means for a transformer and a pluralityof accessories electrically connected together, said fixture comprisingan elongated body portion disposed longitudinally of the pole andadapted to be rigidly connected to same, top and bottomtransversely-disposed members mounted on said body portion in spacedrelation and having provision for enabling a transformer to be hung onsame, and fixture supporting arms projecting laterally from said bodyportion for sustaining the accessories, thereby enabling the transformerto be mounted, dismounted or serviced without disturbing theaccessories.

2. A pole fixture of the kind described in claim 1, in which the bodyportion is provided with recesses or pockets in which saidtransverselydisposed members are positioned, whereby the weight or loadon said members is taken up by parts of said body portion on which saidmembers bear.

3. A pole fixture for supporting a transformer and accessorieselectrically connected to said transformer, comprising a body portionformed from a fiat metal bar bent to produce two substantially parallel,vertically-disposed side pieces joined together at one end by anintegral connecting piece that is curved so as to conform to theexterior of the pole, top and bottom transversely-disposed memberscombined with said side pieces and provided with forwardly-projecting,notched arms adapted to serve as a support for a transformer, saidmembers being curved so as to conform to the exterior of the pole andfixture supporting arms carried by and projecting laterally from theside pieces of said body portion for sustaining the accessories, therebyenabling the transformer to be mounted, dismounted or serviced withoutdisturbing the accessories.

4. A pole fixture of the kind described in claim 3, in which one of saidtransversely-disposed members is permanently connected to the sidepieces of the body portion and the other transversely-disposed member isadjustably connected to said side pieces in such a way that it can beraised. and lowered.

5. A mounting for a transformer and a plurality of accessorieselectrically connected together, comprising a supporting member having abody portion constructed so that it can be applied to the outer surfaceof a pole and rigidly secured to same, a plurality of pairs of forwardlyprojecting devices arranged on said supporting member in spacedrelationship for removably supporting the transformer, one of said pairsof 7 devices having provision for enabling them to be arranged at aplurality of different levels, and independent devices on saidsupporting member for individually supporting the accessories andholding them in symmetrical relationship with the transformer at thesides of the transformer, thereby enabling the transformer to bemounted, dismounted or serviced without disturbing the accessories orthe connections between the accessories and the source of electricalsupply.

6. A mounting for a transformer and a plurality of accessorieselectrically connected together, comprising a supporting member having abody portion constructed so that it can be applied to the outer surfaceof a pole and rigidly secured to same, forwardly-projecting, notched orrecessed parts on said supporting member adapted to be locked totransversely-disposed elements on the casing of the transformer, andmeans on said supporting member for individually supporting theaccessories and holding them in symmetrical relationship with thetransformer at the sides of the transformer, thereby enabling thetransformer to be mounted, dismounted or serviced without disturbing theaccessories or the connections between the accessories and the source ofelectrical supply.

'7. A mounting for a transformer and a plurality of accessorieselectrically connected together, comprising a su'pporting memberattached to the outer surface of a pole and having a body portioncomprising substantially parallel, vertically-disposed side piecesjoined together at one end by a connecting part that is curved so as toconform to the exterior of the pole, means on said supporting member forremovably supporting the transformer in spaced relationship with thepole, and devices on said support ing member for individually supportingthe accessories and holding them in symmetrical relationship with the,transformer at the sides of the transformer, thereby enabling thetransformer to be mounted, dismounted or serviced without disturbing theaccessories or the connections between the accessories and the source ofelectrical supply.

WILLIAM S. MERKLE.

